Holiday of lifetime for Chernobyl kids
VENUES OFFER FREE ENTRY TO VISITORS
A GROUP helping sick children from the Chernobyl area has had its good work rewarded with free admission to many top holiday venues. Each group of two children from the nuclear ravaged region spends two weeks with each host family, for four weeks total. The charity bring 70 children in total over every year, with 30 being spread amongst families in North Dublin.
'These are children who are hugely disadvantaged,' said Swords woman Fiona Milligan, a committee member for the group. 'All the food they eat is contaminated,' she said. 'The air is contaminated'
The holiday the group grants serves as a respite, as well as being the trip of a lifetime for many of the children. 'It's the first chance many of the children get for fresh air, for healthy food,' says Fiona.
Trips to Clara Lara, Sports Link and Go Karting were not only exciting for the children, they were very often free.
'They were given free admission to Clara Lara and Sports Link,' Fiona told the Fingal Independent.
'Alfa gave us free bouncy castles for our closing event,' she added. 'They were great, they offered straight away, as soon as I asked.'
While primarily acting as hosts for the children of Chernobyl, the group are also involved in other forms of humanitarian aid, primarily in the rebuilding of houses in the area.
The kids, who stayed in the general Swords area, rounded off their trip with a farewell barbeque at Clontarf Rugby Club.
